title: The effect of electronic pathology ordering in emergency departments on one aspect of test turn around time: a failure time analysis.
abstract: Electronic ordering systems have the potential to enhance the effective and efficient utilisation of pathology services. This study examined the influence of electronic ordering of pathology tests in four emergency departments on data entry times, a contributing factor to test turnaround time using failure time analysis. Data relating to tests ordered for 50,854 emergency department patients at four hospitals were analysed. The introduction of electronic test ordering significantly reduced turnaround time associated with laboratory data entry at the four hospitals, but there was significant variation between hospitals. Investigation of the impact of electronic ordering on efficiency of pathology services must take into account specific aspects of turnaround time measurement.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Systems & Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.forename: Elia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vecellio
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Toouli
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eigenstetter
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Johanna I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Westbrook
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010338:Pathology, Clinical; D013997:Time Factors; D017748:Time Management